Hairy Potter-Addams and the Philosopher's Stone: An Altogether Ooky Tale

Puzzling Encounters

The kids descended a stone corridor, treading as lightly as possible. It was dark, and the occasional drip of water from the damp, mossy walls made for excellent lurking conditions. The only downside, Hairy realized, was that, as easy as it would be for them to creep up on Snape or any other threat, it might be equally easy for them to find themselves the victim of a similar plot. The downward slope brought up memories of Gringotts. Hairy wondered if, as in Gringotts, there were any dragons down here...

They froze. "Do you hear that?" Ron whispered. Indeed, they could hear a light rustling and high-pitched clinking noises just ahead.

"Could it be a ghost?" said Hermione.

"I don't know...It almost sounds like wings."

Hairy blinked several times to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Yes, there was the outline of a doorway before them. He led his friends into a high-ceilinged chamber lit by multitudinous brilliant torches. Fluttering in formation several meters overhead were dozens of small birds as bright as jewels, their wings and bodies flashing boldly in the light. The kids saw a heavy wooden door directly across the broad room.

"I guess we'll have to run for it," said Ron. "I bet they attack if we get near the door. They don't look like much, but I suppose if they all came at once..."

"I'll go first," said Hairy. "Maybe I can distract them for a bit, and then you two can get out."

Before either of the others could object, Hairy tucked his head under his arms and sprinted across the chamber. At each step, he expected to feel talons and beaks tearing at him, wings buffeting his head--

None of that happened. He reached the far side in complete safety. He tugged at the door, but it didn't budge. Hermione tried a couple of unlocking charms, including Alohomora, to no avail.

Ron leaned back against the wall, looking at the ceiling. "Well, now what? Snape obviously got through, or else he'd be here."

"The only other thing in here is the birds," said Hermione. "They've got to mean something. I doubt they're just here to look pretty."

Hairy grunted an agreement and watched the birds wheel and dive and flirt back and forth, mesmerized by their glittering, metallic--

"KEYS!" Hermione and Ron jumped at the outburst, but Hairy paid them no mind. "They're keys, look at them closely, " he said, pointing. "One of them must open the door. And if they're flying, I'll bet you guys anything that--aha!" In a shadowy corner they'd missed were a few broomsticks. "We've got to catch the key."

Hermione wasn't mollified. "But there must be a hundred of them."

Ron had an answer. "This is a big lock. We need a big key. I reckon it's silver, same as the door handle."

Once they were in the air, the boys saw that Hermione was right; there were more keys than they thought, and anyway, they never stayed still. As the three friends dived and snatched at the bewitched keys, their prey darted and reeled out of reach. It was tough to determine anyway which key they really needed. Without the keen eyes of the youngest Seeker in a century, it would've been even more difficult.

"There!" said Harry, pointing. "The big one with the blue wings. One is bent. Ron, drop in from above; Hermione, fly under it and keep it from diving. I'll chase it from here. Ready? GO!"

Hermione stayed beneath the key, Ron dove, and Harry flattened himself along his broom, urging it forward. Harry grabbed for the key as it tried to head for a wall. With a nasty cracking noise, the key found itself trapped beneath Harry's hand and the stone wall. Hermione and Ron cheered as they descended to the door. Once their feet were on the ground, the key started struggling harder in Harry's hand.